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Where is middle C on the piano?
Middle C is the white key immediately to the left of any group of two black keys, taken nearest the centre of the instrument. On an 88 key piano it is the fourth C from the bottom. It is the note almost every beginner piece puts your right thumb on, and it is the landmark every other note is counted from.
Click any key to hear it. Your computer's A to K row works too.
How do I find middle C every time?
Look at the black keys and find a group of two rather than a group of three. The white key immediately to the left of that pair is C. Do that near the middle of the keyboard and you have middle C. You never have to count from the end, and it works on any instrument, of any size, in any lighting.
Why is middle C called middle C?
Because it sits roughly in the middle of the piano, and because it sits between the two staves in written music. In the treble clef it is written on a short line just below the stave; in the bass clef it is written on a short line just above. Same key, two ways of writing it, which is what joins the two hands together on the page.
Is middle C the same on a 61 key keyboard?
The note is identical, but its position shifts because there are fewer keys either side of it. On a 61 key keyboard middle C is the third C from the bottom rather than the fourth. Use the group of two black keys nearest the centre and you will find it correctly on any instrument.
What do I play with middle C first?
Put your right thumb on it and let the next four fingers fall naturally on D, E, F and G. That is a five finger position, and an enormous amount of beginner music never leaves it. Ode to Joy sits entirely inside it.
This page answers the question. Lesson 1: the keyboard map lets you practise finding C and the other landmarks on a keyboard inside the lesson. It is free, and it starts the moment you open it.
Keep going
Read next
A piano has 88 keys, 52 white and 36 black, repeating one pattern of twelve. Find any note Open → ♪ Black keys on the piano
The 36 black keys are the sharps and flats. What they are, why they come in twos and three Open → ♪ Piano finger numbers explained
Thumb is 1, little finger is 5, on both hands. What the numbers in sheet music mean and wh Open → ♪ Proper piano hand position
Curved fingers, level wrist, relaxed arm. How to sit and where to put your hands so nothin Open →
Put it into practice in the practice room, or start at the beginning with the five minute walkthrough.
Questions
Common questions
Is middle C C4?
Yes, in the most common naming system middle C is C4. Some manufacturers label it C3 or C5, which is why people occasionally disagree about it, but the key itself is the same.
Where is middle C on a 76 key keyboard?
Find the pair of black keys nearest the centre and take the white key to its left. That is middle C on any instrument, regardless of size.
Do I need to find middle C before every piece?
At first, yes, and it takes seconds. Within a few weeks your hand will go there without you thinking about it.